“The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us.”
― Jay Kristoff
It's been twenty-four hours since the end of YALC, and I'm missing it already. Can you be nostalgic about something that's only just happened? It certainly feels that way. I figured writing an A to Z blog post all about the 2026 event would be a good distraction.
As always, I attended YALC with my youngest daughter, and we absolutely loved this year. We met six authors, we went to a panel and a workshop that were both brilliant, and we were surrounded by beautiful books and beautiful book-related things all weekend. Our lack of shelf space kind of faded into irrelevance, and we have no regrets about the pile of books we brought home!
If you went to YALC this year, I hope you had a great time, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
Advance Reader Copies are one of the most exciting things about YALC. Most of the time it's complete chance whether you win a proof or not, and this year we were very lucky.
Princess of Lies One princess. Two princes. A lie that could shatter the kingdom. Matcha & Matches One cup of matcha, a splash of rivalry, an unforgettable summer in Japan—the recipe for romance. Something Unpredictable Ellie Milton has never really been in love. Jane Sewell has fallen in love too many times—and always with straight girls.
I think I'm most looking forward to reading The Thousand Deaths of Romeo and Juliet. I love Shakespeare retellings, and I can't wait to find out if Mercutio's curse ("A plague o' both your houses!") can be broken.
All of the publishers outdid themselves this year, making their stands stand out in the best way.
There's a lot of amazing character art on the publishers' stands. Hot Key books had some stunning examples―of course!―given the imminent release of A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters, by Holly Black and Solenne Songer.
D is for Discounts
Cheaper books are always a Very Good Thing.
As long as you don't overestimate how many you can carry home on the busiest train ever to leave Paddington Station on a Sunday evening. (I'm not joking.)
Spredges, to be specific. They've been around for centuries in one form or another. Fore-edge painting, to give it its technical name, used to include the book's title, back in the 10th century when manuscripts were stacked with their spines facing inward.
If you like sprayed edges, then YALC was the place to be this weekend. There were works of art on almost every table.
2026 was my fifth time attending YALC. This photo is from back in 2022, when YALC was held in the summer and I was still figuring out how it all worked. Four years later in 2026, the WIP might be different, but the sentiment hasn't changed!
I love the design of this year's YALC tote bag ❤️
All books are beautiful, but there's something special about hardbacks. And The Locked Library are experts in making hardback books extra special! I couldn't resist this beautiful copy of Mistress of Bones (YALC discounted pricing has a lot to answer for!)
The best place to find out what publishers have planned.
I mentioned in A is for ARC that winning proofs is mostly chance, but there's usually a task you have to complete as well. This could be anything from spinning a wheel, to fishing for prizes with a magnetic rod, to completing a fiendishly difficult hoop and wire game. (We didn't even make it close to halfway on that one!)
House of YA (see photo) were running a quiz with book-themed questions, and you got to trade correct answers for vault cards. Even though we weren't successful, we enjoyed the game!
K is for Kindred Spirits
Everyone attending YALC loves books, which makes for a really great atmosphere (and some amazing cosplay).
The famous YALC letters!
Basically, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to book-related merch. The creativity is off the charts.
YALC is also an opportunity to discover books by new YA authors. My choice was Spellwright by Heather Kassner, which I bought partly because of the beautiful cover, and partly because I've been meaning to read a cosy fantasy story for a change of pace. It doesn't actually come out until later this week, but that's the beauty of YALC!
O is for Organise Your Day
It helps a lot to have a plan, even if you don't stick to it religiously. This might include arriving early enough to get virtual queue tickets for the authors you want to see, or knowing which panels/workshops you want to attend so you don't lose track of time on the day(s), or making sure you bring plenty of snacks to keep your energy levels up. And also having a case with wheels (because books are heavy!).
We went to "From Adversary to Adored" with (l-r):
It was the best panel we've ever attended (probably because of the amazing line up!), and the hour went by far too quickly. Hannah asked what had first sparked her fellow authors' interest in the enemies to lovers trope, and answers included references to The Cruel Prince (Lauryn), Howl's Moving Castle (Shannon), Jamie and Brienne from Game of Thrones (Petra), and Anastasia (Hannah). Charlotte mentioned that she found 'reluctant allies to enemies' a very interesting concept to explore in writing.
The discussion ranged from the importance of worldbuilding, to how connections gradually form between characters, to the process of revising a manuscript and how different the final version can be from the first draft. It was also acknowledged that writing enemies to lovers in a fantasy setting can lead to some interesting research on the part of the writer!
YALC is a popular event, which means there is a degree of inevitability about queueing. It's mainly for author signings or to win proofs at publisher stands, and the lines are managed pretty well. The stand with the longest lines this year was definitely Electric Monkey!
R is for Romantasy
It wasn't deliberate, but almost all of the books I won or purchased this year fit into this category. It's my favourite by far, and I'm very happy to have so many options to choose from!
I met Hannah Nicole Maehrer, and she signed my special edition of Assistant to the Villain. I can't wait for the fifth and final book in the series.
Hannah mentioned it was her first time visiting the UK, and she was very complimentary about London (in spite of the grey and chilly autumn weather!). She had talked about researching frogs when she was chairing the panel before her signing slot (see P is for Panel), and I said how much I had loved reading the first Kingsley 🐸 POV chapter.
I have more tote bags than I could possibly ever use, but I'm fine with that.
There are typically lots of samples available at YALC with fascinating previews of upcoming books.
YALC had a new London venue this year. It was held at the Hilton Metropole instead of Olympia, and there was a lot to like. Everything felt less crowded because the author signings were in a separate space, and it was still fairly central at half a mile's walk from Paddington Station. Having four levels definitely put the lifts (elevators) under a bit of pressure though.
W is for Workshop
We went to the YALC Quiz of the Year, which was hosted by author Amy McCaw. She also hosted the quiz in 2025, and we enjoyed it so much, we didn't hesitate to go back in 2026. Our scores didn't improve, but we had fun trying to figure out the answers!
X is for eXperts
All of the information you could ever want to know about a career in writing or publishing can be found in the Industry Arena. And you only have to read Amy McCaw's journey from reader to author to understand how important and inspirational events like YALC can be.
Y is for Young Adult+
There is more to YALC than Young Adult. Young Adult crossover is becoming more and more of a thing, and the appeal of a good story isn't confined to one particular age group. It all makes for more choice for us readers, which is obviously good news!
Finally, YALC can be a massive sensory overload, so make time to visit the chill out zone if you need to! It was a lifesaver for us, and we wouldn't have lasted the whole event (or ended up with so many incredible books ❤️📚) without the chance to decompress in between activities.
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